Apple launched the all-new MacBook Air (2022) during WWDC22. The reveal also included that of macOS Ventura — which further enriches the Mac lineup with handy features. And considering that this new MacBook packs the M2 chip, you might want to take a look at our list of best apps for Apple silicon. These applications are specifically optimized for the family of M chips that power the company’s latest computers. Speaking of M processors, Apple has even started including these chipsets in some of its higher-end iPads. This is the MacBook Air M2 (2022) vs iPad Pro M1 (2021) — two thin and light, M-powered beasts that cater to different users.
Apple MacBook Air M2 (2022) vs Apple iPad Pro M1 (2021): Specifications
Apple MacBook Air M2
Apple iPad Pro M1
Processor
Apple M2 (8-Core CPU)
Apple M1 (8-Core CPU)
Graphics
Apple M2 (8-Core GPU)
Apple M2 (10-Core GPU)
Apple M1 (8-Core GPU)
Body
11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches
2.7lbs
11.04 x 8.46 x 0.25 inches
1.5lbs
Display
13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2560 x 1664), up to 500 nits peak brightness, True Tone technology
12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR multi-touch display (2732 x 2048), up to 1600 nits peak brightness, True Tone technology, ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
Ports
Two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports (40Gbps, Power Delivery, one external display)
MagSafe 3 port
Headphone jack
Thunderbolt/USB 4 port (40Gbps, Power Delivery, one external display)
Storage
256GB
512GB
1TB
2TB
128GB
256GB
512GB
1TB
2TB
Memory
8GB
16GB
24GB
8GB
16GB
Battery
52.6Whr battery
Up to 18 hours of video playback
30W charger
40.88Whr battery
Up to 10 hours of video playback
20W charger
Audio
Four-speaker sound system with wide stereo sound and spatial audio support when playing Dolby Atmos content
Four speaker audio
Camera
1080p FaceTime HD camera
Pro rear camera system: Wide and Ultra Wide cameras
Wide: 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture
Ultra Wide: 10MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, 125° field of view
2x optical zoom out
Digital zoom up to 5x
Brighter True Tone flash
LiDAR scanner
TrueDepth front-facing system
Ultra Wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, 122° field of view
Portrait mode with advanced bokeh, Depth Control, and lighting effects
Retina Flash
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
5G (on Cellular model)
Color
Silver
Starlight
Space Gray
Midnight
Silver
Space Gray
Price
Starts at $1,199
Starts at $1,099
Design: We’ve got a Pro that is lighter and thinner than air!
Let’s start with design. Design is one of the important aspects to consider when buying a new computing device. That’s because it’s the first thing we look at when we’re about to start using a certain product — before we even log in and check its software. Fortunately, both products have futuristic chassis that are very easy on the eyes. Obviously, though, there’s more to consider when it comes to their designs than just them looking modern.
If you’re looking for the thinner of the two, the iPad Pro is the one to go for. It’s also definitely more portable, thanks to its smaller size and lighter weight. The MacBook Air, though, comes with more ports, a built-in keyboard, and a larger display. So depending on what you’re looking for, you will likely find yourself leaning to one of the two devices and the physical features they offer. It’s also worth noting that you could always buy a separate keyboard for the iPad Pro. And, finally, the MacBook Air comes in Midnight and Starlight in addition to the colors that the iPad Pro offers (Space Gray and Silver). Ultimately — in terms of design — the iPad Pro is clearly cleaner and more minimalistic than the MacBook Air.
Display: Touch-enabled, brighter, clearer, faster — the Pro has got it all!
Whether you’re a creative looking to utilize Apple’s mighty M chips or a binge watcher looking for the superior display — there’s a clear winner in this round. The iPad Pro’s dominates that of the MacBook Air from all aspects except when comparing their sizes. For starters, it’s a multi-touch screen, allowing you to doodle using your finger, Apple Pencil 2, or a regular stylus. Secondly, it has a higher resolution and supports the ProMotion technology, which further… ProMote and crown it as the better display.
For those unfamiliar with the ProMotion technology, it’s Apple’s marketing name for 120Hz refresh rates. So on the iPad Pro you get to take advantage of these buttery-smooth animation and scrolling speeds that are nowhere to be found on the MacBook Air. Another aspect to consider — especially if you tend to work outdoors — is the peak brightness. That of the notebook is 500 nits, which is obliterated by the 1600 nits the tablet offers. The iPad Pro’s display truly is a pro at what it does. Oh, and it doesn’t have a notch like the MacBook Air.
Performance: Air? More like a hurricane!
Performance on a computing device can be the top priority for customers looking to get the maximum power their bucks can buy them. This round isn’t as simple as the rest — simply because we have two devices of different natures. Obviously, the MacBook Air wins it, but we have to dissect the specific details nonetheless. Starting with the processor, both devices are powered by an M chip. The Mac goes for 2022’s M2, while the iPad Pro packs the 2020 M1 chipset. As you’d expect, the M2 is faster and more power efficient than the first gen of this SoC.
Chips aside, you can get up to 2TB of SSD on both devices. However, the MacBook Air offers more RAM options — 8GB, 16GB, and 24GB. The iPad Pro misses out on the third option. Though, let these insignificant differences not distract us from what I would consider the biggest disadvantage of the iPad — iPadOS.
Yes, iPadOS 16 adds Stage Manager and proper external display support. However, it’s still iPadOS. The MacBook Air runs macOS — which means you don’t have to deal with the restriction Apple bakes into its mobile operating systems. In the iPad Pro’s defense, though, you get stylus and better accessory support. If you’re an illustrator or take plenty of handwritten notes, then the iPad might make more sense to you.
Bottom Line: It’s all about weighing your pros and cons
The Apple MacBook Air M2 (2022) and iPad Pro M1 (2021) are two very, very different products. They’re powerful and lightweight in their own unique ways — epitomes of Apple’s modern design, reflected through reliable, long-lasting, and unsophisticated technologies. Both should be receiving software support for years to come. Ultimately, you should decide if you want a laptop or a Pro tablet. Do you prefer the clearer touch screen or the built-in keyboard? Would you sacrifice macOS for the slimmer, Face ID-enabled design? It really is up to you. We’ve only helped you pick by breaking down what you need to know about the two Apple computing devices.
Both devices are in the same price range, with the MacBook Air starting at $1,199 in the US and the iPad Pro going for a slightly cheaper $1,099 price tag.
Apple launched the all-new MacBook Air (2022) during WWDC22. The reveal also included that of macOS Ventura — which further enriches the Mac lineup with handy features. And considering that this new MacBook packs the M2 chip, you might want to take a look at our list of best apps for Apple silicon. These applications are specifically optimized for the family of M chips that power the company’s latest computers. Speaking of M processors, Apple has even started including these chipsets in some of its higher-end iPads. This is the MacBook Air M2 (2022) vs iPad Pro M1 (2021) — two thin and light, M-powered beasts that cater to different users.
Apple MacBook Air M2 (2022) vs Apple iPad Pro M1 (2021): Specifications
Apple MacBook Air M2
Apple iPad Pro M1
Processor
Apple M2 (8-Core CPU)
Apple M1 (8-Core CPU)
Graphics
Apple M2 (8-Core GPU)
Apple M2 (10-Core GPU)
Apple M1 (8-Core GPU)
Body
11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches
2.7lbs
11.04 x 8.46 x 0.25 inches
1.5lbs
Display
13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2560 x 1664), up to 500 nits peak brightness, True Tone technology
12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR multi-touch display (2732 x 2048), up to 1600 nits peak brightness, True Tone technology, ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
Ports
Two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports (40Gbps, Power Delivery, one external display)
MagSafe 3 port
Headphone jack
Thunderbolt/USB 4 port (40Gbps, Power Delivery, one external display)
Storage
256GB
512GB
1TB
2TB
128GB
256GB
512GB
1TB
2TB
Memory
8GB
16GB
24GB
8GB
16GB
Battery
52.6Whr battery
Up to 18 hours of video playback
30W charger
40.88Whr battery
Up to 10 hours of video playback
20W charger
Audio
Four-speaker sound system with wide stereo sound and spatial audio support when playing Dolby Atmos content
Four speaker audio
Camera
1080p FaceTime HD camera
Pro rear camera system: Wide and Ultra Wide cameras
Wide: 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture
Ultra Wide: 10MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, 125° field of view
2x optical zoom out
Digital zoom up to 5x
Brighter True Tone flash
LiDAR scanner
TrueDepth front-facing system
Ultra Wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, 122° field of view
Portrait mode with advanced bokeh, Depth Control, and lighting effects
Retina Flash
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
5G (on Cellular model)
Color
Silver
Starlight
Space Gray
Midnight
Silver
Space Gray
Price
Starts at $1,199
Starts at $1,099
Design: We’ve got a Pro that is lighter and thinner than air!
Let’s start with design. Design is one of the important aspects to consider when buying a new computing device. That’s because it’s the first thing we look at when we’re about to start using a certain product — before we even log in and check its software. Fortunately, both products have futuristic chassis that are very easy on the eyes. Obviously, though, there’s more to consider when it comes to their designs than just them looking modern.
If you’re looking for the thinner of the two, the iPad Pro is the one to go for. It’s also definitely more portable, thanks to its smaller size and lighter weight. The MacBook Air, though, comes with more ports, a built-in keyboard, and a larger display. So depending on what you’re looking for, you will likely find yourself leaning to one of the two devices and the physical features they offer. It’s also worth noting that you could always buy a separate keyboard for the iPad Pro. And, finally, the MacBook Air comes in Midnight and Starlight in addition to the colors that the iPad Pro offers (Space Gray and Silver). Ultimately — in terms of design — the iPad Pro is clearly cleaner and more minimalistic than the MacBook Air.
Display: Touch-enabled, brighter, clearer, faster — the Pro has got it all!
Whether you’re a creative looking to utilize Apple’s mighty M chips or a binge watcher looking for the superior display — there’s a clear winner in this round. The iPad Pro’s dominates that of the MacBook Air from all aspects except when comparing their sizes. For starters, it’s a multi-touch screen, allowing you to doodle using your finger, Apple Pencil 2, or a regular stylus. Secondly, it has a higher resolution and supports the ProMotion technology, which further… ProMote and crown it as the better display.
For those unfamiliar with the ProMotion technology, it’s Apple’s marketing name for 120Hz refresh rates. So on the iPad Pro you get to take advantage of these buttery-smooth animation and scrolling speeds that are nowhere to be found on the MacBook Air. Another aspect to consider — especially if you tend to work outdoors — is the peak brightness. That of the notebook is 500 nits, which is obliterated by the 1600 nits the tablet offers. The iPad Pro’s display truly is a pro at what it does. Oh, and it doesn’t have a notch like the MacBook Air.
Performance: Air? More like a hurricane!
Performance on a computing device can be the top priority for customers looking to get the maximum power their bucks can buy them. This round isn’t as simple as the rest — simply because we have two devices of different natures. Obviously, the MacBook Air wins it, but we have to dissect the specific details nonetheless. Starting with the processor, both devices are powered by an M chip. The Mac goes for 2022’s M2, while the iPad Pro packs the 2020 M1 chipset. As you’d expect, the M2 is faster and more power efficient than the first gen of this SoC.
Chips aside, you can get up to 2TB of SSD on both devices. However, the MacBook Air offers more RAM options — 8GB, 16GB, and 24GB. The iPad Pro misses out on the third option. Though, let these insignificant differences not distract us from what I would consider the biggest disadvantage of the iPad — iPadOS.
Yes, iPadOS 16 adds Stage Manager and proper external display support. However, it’s still iPadOS. The MacBook Air runs macOS — which means you don’t have to deal with the restriction Apple bakes into its mobile operating systems. In the iPad Pro’s defense, though, you get stylus and better accessory support. If you’re an illustrator or take plenty of handwritten notes, then the iPad might make more sense to you.
Bottom Line: It’s all about weighing your pros and cons
The Apple MacBook Air M2 (2022) and iPad Pro M1 (2021) are two very, very different products. They’re powerful and lightweight in their own unique ways — epitomes of Apple’s modern design, reflected through reliable, long-lasting, and unsophisticated technologies. Both should be receiving software support for years to come. Ultimately, you should decide if you want a laptop or a Pro tablet. Do you prefer the clearer touch screen or the built-in keyboard? Would you sacrifice macOS for the slimmer, Face ID-enabled design? It really is up to you. We’ve only helped you pick by breaking down what you need to know about the two Apple computing devices.
Both devices are in the same price range, with the MacBook Air starting at $1,199 in the US and the iPad Pro going for a slightly cheaper $1,099 price tag.
There’s a reason that Lenovo ThinkPad is such a powerful brand, dominating in the business market thanks to a reputation for quality and innovation. And when it comes to the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, the product is tried and true, now on its seventh generation. It’s made out of aluminum, has a built-in pen garage, and it passes over a dozen MIL-STD-810G tests, just like any ThinkPad.
Not a whole lot has changed since the previous generation, and that’s not a bad thing. There are two key differences. One is that the 4K option is now OLED, which is cool since we haven’t seen an OLED display in the ThinkPad X1 Yoga since the Gen 2 model. It also comes with Intel’s new 28W 12th-gen processors, which are more powerful, have better power management, and unlock other capabilities like how this machine includes LPDDR5 memory.
Ultimately, it’s just a great all-around convertible laptop, which is something that the ThinkPad X1 Yoga has always been.
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Yoga has all of the bells and whistles you need, like optional 5G, an optional 4K OLED display, 12th-gen processors, LPDDR5, and an overall great build quality.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 yoga Gen 7 pricing and availability
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 starts at $1,589.40 on Lenovo.com, although as a business laptop, it’s available through various other channels.
It’s available to purchase now.
Lenovo first announced the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 at CES back in January, alongside the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon and ThinkPad X1 Nano. It was slated to arrive in March, so it’s been on sale for a little while.
There were a few key changes. The biggest, interestingly enough, is the spec bump. Intel now makes a 28W processor in the P-series, so that’s included in these flagship products. Along with a new hybrid architecture for more cores and batter power efficiency, there’s just more power. There’s also a new 4K OLED display option, although that’s not included in my review unit.
Being the flagship convertible from the ThinkPad brand, it starts at $1,589.40, so it’s not a cheap laptop. That comes with a Core i5-1240P, 8GB LPDDR5 5200MHz RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It goes up from there.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7: Specs
Processor
Intel Core i7-1260P
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe
Display
14.0″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, anti-glare, touchscreen, 400 nits
RAM
16GB LPDDR5 5200MHz (Soldered)
Storage
512GB PCIe SSD Gen 4 Performance
Battery
57Whr
Rapid Charge (requires 65W PSU or higher)
Security
Discrete Trusted Platform Module (dTPM) 2.0
Computer Vision with Human-presence detection sensor
Facial recognition with IR camera
Smart Power On fingerprint reader integrated with power button (match-on-chip)
Tile ready
Webcam privacy shutter
Kensington lock slot
Secured-core
Audio
Dolby Atmos Speaker System (user facing, 4 x speakers)
4 x quad-array 360-degree far-field microphones
Dolby Voice certified for professional conferencing solution
Camera
1080p FHD
Chassis
14.95mm x 315.6mm x 222.5mm x / 0.61″ x 12.38″ x 8.75″, Starting at 1.38kg / 3.04lbs
Connectivity
WLAN: Intel Wi-Fi 6E** AX211 802.11AX (2 x 2)
Bluetooth5.2 with vPro
Ports
2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 4
2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
Headphone / mic combo
HDMI 2.0b
Optional: Nano SIM slot
Input
Spill-resistant
Glass TrackPad 110mm/4.33″
Backlit with white LED lighting
Air intake keys
Pen
Lenovo Integrated Pen
Color
Storm Grey
Material
Aluminum
OS
Windows 11 Pro
What’s in the box
ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
Internal Battery
USB-C 65W (supports Rapid Charge)
Quick Start Guide
Price
$1,987.80
Note that these are the specs of my review unit. As with any ThinkPad, there’s a wide array of configurations. You can get it with a 15W U-series processor instead of the 28W P-series chip, there’s an optional IR camera, and there’s even optional 5G.
Design: The rare aluminum ThinkPad
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga is made of aluminum, and the chassis is mostly the same size as it was last year.
It has four USB ports, two of which are USB Type-A and two of which are Thunderbolt 4.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 4 was the first time that the product was made out of aluminum. And indeed, it’s a rare material to find in a ThinkPad, which is known for using carbon fiber in premium devices. The general design of the product has changed a bit since then, changing up the ports, adding a 16:10 display, and so on, but it still comes in the Storm Grey color.
It’s not the same chassis as last year though, although it’s very similar. It’s ever so slightly heavier, at 3.04 pounds instead of three pounds, and it’s actually a little bit wider at 315.6mm instead of 313mm. Of course, if you put the two next to each other, you probably wouldn’t even be able to tell which one is which.
As usual, it looks clean and professional, with the only markings on the lid being a metallic ThinkPad X1 logo on the corner, and a Lenovo logo in the opposite corner.
It’s a business laptop, and that means that it still has a bunch of ports, including two USB Type-A ports and HDMI 2.0. Indeed, on a consumer laptop, you’re lucky to find one USB Type-A port, let alone two, and you can forget about HDMI. Sadly, those two USB Type-A ports are still USB 3.2 Gen 1, meaning that you get 5Gbps speeds.
One of those USB Type-A ports is on the right side of the device, along with the 3.5mm audio jack. On that side, you’ll also find a pen garage, so you always have the pen with you. Personally, I think this is the best method of pen storage. We’ve seen pens attach magnetically, and while that allows for a larger pen, those often fall off in a bag and just get in the way. This way, the pen is always with you and it’s always charged.
Personally, I think this matters. If you’re not going to be using the ThinkPad X1 Yoga as a tablet from time to time, you should ask yourself why you’re considering buying it. Without the convertible functionality, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a better option.
On the left side, you’ll also find a USB Type-A port and the HDMI port, but there are also two Thunderbolt 4 ports. That means that a single port can connect to up to two 4K displays or one 8K display, or you could connect this laptop to an external GPU. And of course, you’d use one of these ports for charging.
Ultimately, this is a fine design for a laptop. It’s got two USB-A and two USB-C ports, and it comes in a clean-looking aluminum chassis.
Display: The ThinkPad X1 Yoga now comes with optional OLED
It has a 14-inch 16:10 display, which can now be configured as 4K OLED.
The 1080p webcam is now standard
While the option for 4K OLED is one of the two big changes for this laptop, the model that Lenovo sent me is FHD+, or 1,920×1,200. It’s fine, and it will get you better battery life, something you’ll want with Intel’s new P-series processors. Back in the old days, the OLED options for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and Yoga were actually 1440p, which was a nice balance between a higher resolution and battery life. With 3,840×2,400 resolution and OLED, you’re going to really feel the difference between battery life on that, and on the FHD model.
Of course, 16:10 is also the correct resolution. Pretty much all premium laptops have moved beyond 16:9 aspect ratios now, as 16:10 is taller with more surface area. Screens are measured diagonally, so while it’s still 14 inches, the taller aspect ratio means that you actually get more space.
In my testing, the screen supported 99% sRGB, 77% NTSC, 82% Adobe RGB, and 82% P3. That’s pretty good. In fact, I’d say anything over 80% in the Adobe RGB and P3 departments is solid. I will point out that the OLED model would likely be in the 90s.
Brightness maxed out at 418.1 nits, exceeding the 400 nits that were promised on the spec sheet. Notice that black came in at 0.22 at 100% brightness, and that column will be the biggest difference between OLED and non-OLED. If it as 0.01 at 0% brightness, it would be 0.01 at 100% brightness.
As noted above, the webcam is FHD, and that is standard. Last year, a lot of the ThinkPad lineup for the FHD webcam treatment, but the base model was only 720p. Now, if you buy this very expensive laptop, you’ll definitely get a solid webcam. Indeed, that’s as it should be. It’s about time that OEMs started taking webcam quality seriously.
Keyboard: A wider touchpad, and the same keyboard design
The touchpad is 110mm wide, but it still has buttons that take up valuable real estate.
The keyboard is still 1.5mm.
Lenovo’s ThinkPads are renowned for keyboard quality, so it’s no surprise that the ThinkPad X1 Yoga has an excellent keyboard. Also, it hasn’t changed from te Gen 6 model; the depth of the keys is still 1.5mm. It’s comfortable and accurate to type on, something that you’d expect from a ThinkPad.
The power button the sits above the keyboard doubles as a fingerprint sensor, which is nice since the IR camera is optional. In fact, this review unit doesn’t have an IR camera, so the fingerprint sensor was the only means I had of biometric authentication. Naturally, it scans your fingerprint when you first press it, automatically logging you in after the laptop boots up.
Just like with almost every other ThinkPad, there’s a TrackPoint between the G, H, and B keys. It’s a relic from the era when Windows laptop touchpads were terrible, but there are still some people that use them. In fact, Lenovo undoubtedly has telemetry around how often the TrackPoint gets used, and it has to be considering that when it includes it on every single ThinkPad laptop’s keyboard. ThinkPads still dominate in businesses, so Lenovo is doing something right.
You can easily ignore it if you don’t like it. If you can’t ignore it, then ThinkPads aren’t for you.
One result of the TrackPoint that you can’t ignore is the buttons above the touchpad. Those are there so they can be used with TrackPoint navigation, so if you only use the touchpad, it’s a waste of real estate. Of course, you could use the buttons with the touchpad, but that’s up to you.
The touchpad is wider than in previous generations, coming in at 110mm, so Lenovo does see the value of a larger touchpad. I think that at some point, the firm is going to have to release some ThinkPads without the TrackPoint or touchpad buttons, or even if a model like that was released as an option, but that day is not today.
Performance: Intel’s P-series is powerful, but it has limitations
It comes with 28W Intel 12th-gen processors
When Intel introduced its 12th-generation processors for ultrabooks, it showed off its all-new P-series. It still offers the more traditional 15W and 9W CPUs that go in laptops, and while there have been 28W U-series processors in the past, this is a specifically 28W series of chips.
It’s basically billed as a way to put more powerful CPUs in the same kinds of laptops that we’ve seen 15W CPUs used in. So now, premium laptops like the entire ThinkPad X1 lineup use P-series chips, and that even includes the ultra-thin ThinkPad X1 Nano, which used 9W processors last year.
Intel’s 12th-gen chips also use a new hybrid architecture. The Core i7-1260P in this laptop has 12 cores and 16 threads, a big change from the quad-core octa-thread CPUs from the U-series of years prior. Out of those 12 cores, four of them are performance cores and eight are efficiency cores, with Intel using a scheduler to direct tasks to different cores as necessary.
ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
Core i7-1260P
ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6
Core i7-1185G7
Lenovo Yoga 9i
Core i7-1260P
PCMark 10
5,168
5,158
5,616
3DMark: Time Spy
1,458
1,781
1,678
Geekbench 5
1,419 / 6,915
1,592 / 5,518
1,736 / 9,525
Cinebench R23
1,375 / 6,831
1,473 / 4,807
1,638 / 7,757
Here’s the issue with performance. Intel really billed P-series as a way of putting more performance into the same laptops, but that’s just not the case. These processors run hotter and use more battery life. Performance is better than 11th-gen, but it doesn’t really benchmark well because it starts to heat up and throttle. As you can see, the newly redesigned Yoga 9i actually sustains performance a lot better.
Interestingly, while performance wasn’t quite as good as other P-series laptops that I’ve reviewed, battery life was better. I got between 210 minutes and 374 minutes of usage out of it, the latter of which is really impressive. I expect four to five hours out of any regular laptop, so maxing out at six hours and 14 minutes is pretty great.
Lenovo did say that the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is available with U-series processors as well, so there’s a lot of flexibility for the kind of laptop you can get here.
Should you buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7?
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is a phenomenal convertible laptop. It’s not the flashiest, but it’s one of the best around.
You should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 if:
You’re looking for a quality convertible with great build quality
You like the TrackPoint
Keyboard quality is important to you
Webcam quality is important to you
You should not buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 if:
You’re not willing to spend a lot of money for quality
You’re looking for something flashy
You’re not planning to use the convertible aspect of it
Like I said, this is a phenomenal laptop. But you should definitely be planning to use it as a tablet from time to time. Otherwise, you should look at the ThinkPad X1 Carbon or X1 Nano, as they’re lighter and better suited to be strictly clamshell laptops.
In fact, for tablet use, the best was the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, a 3:2 ultra-light convertible that was specifically designed to be great at being a tablet and a laptop, while most convertibles are meant to be a laptop first. The Titanium Yoga is no more though, so the ThinkPad X1 Yoga gets the crown of best business convertible.
There’s a reason that Lenovo ThinkPad is such a powerful brand, dominating in the business market thanks to a reputation for quality and innovation. And when it comes to the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, the product is tried and true, now on its seventh generation. It’s made out of aluminum, has a built-in pen garage, and it passes over a dozen MIL-STD-810G tests, just like any ThinkPad.
Not a whole lot has changed since the previous generation, and that’s not a bad thing. There are two key differences. One is that the 4K option is now OLED, which is cool since we haven’t seen an OLED display in the ThinkPad X1 Yoga since the Gen 2 model. It also comes with Intel’s new 28W 12th-gen processors, which are more powerful, have better power management, and unlock other capabilities like how this machine includes LPDDR5 memory.
Ultimately, it’s just a great all-around convertible laptop, which is something that the ThinkPad X1 Yoga has always been.
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Yoga has all of the bells and whistles you need, like optional 5G, an optional 4K OLED display, 12th-gen processors, LPDDR5, and an overall great build quality.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 yoga Gen 7 pricing and availability
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 starts at $1,589.40 on Lenovo.com, although as a business laptop, it’s available through various other channels.
It’s available to purchase now.
Lenovo first announced the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 at CES back in January, alongside the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon and ThinkPad X1 Nano. It was slated to arrive in March, so it’s been on sale for a little while.
There were a few key changes. The biggest, interestingly enough, is the spec bump. Intel now makes a 28W processor in the P-series, so that’s included in these flagship products. Along with a new hybrid architecture for more cores and batter power efficiency, there’s just more power. There’s also a new 4K OLED display option, although that’s not included in my review unit.
Being the flagship convertible from the ThinkPad brand, it starts at $1,589.40, so it’s not a cheap laptop. That comes with a Core i5-1240P, 8GB LPDDR5 5200MHz RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It goes up from there.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7: Specs
Processor
Intel Core i7-1260P
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe
Display
14.0″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, anti-glare, touchscreen, 400 nits
RAM
16GB LPDDR5 5200MHz (Soldered)
Storage
512GB PCIe SSD Gen 4 Performance
Battery
57Whr
Rapid Charge (requires 65W PSU or higher)
Security
Discrete Trusted Platform Module (dTPM) 2.0
Computer Vision with Human-presence detection sensor
Facial recognition with IR camera
Smart Power On fingerprint reader integrated with power button (match-on-chip)
Tile ready
Webcam privacy shutter
Kensington lock slot
Secured-core
Audio
Dolby Atmos Speaker System (user facing, 4 x speakers)
4 x quad-array 360-degree far-field microphones
Dolby Voice certified for professional conferencing solution
Camera
1080p FHD
Chassis
14.95mm x 315.6mm x 222.5mm x / 0.61″ x 12.38″ x 8.75″, Starting at 1.38kg / 3.04lbs
Connectivity
WLAN: Intel Wi-Fi 6E** AX211 802.11AX (2 x 2)
Bluetooth5.2 with vPro
Ports
2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 4
2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
Headphone / mic combo
HDMI 2.0b
Optional: Nano SIM slot
Input
Spill-resistant
Glass TrackPad 110mm/4.33″
Backlit with white LED lighting
Air intake keys
Pen
Lenovo Integrated Pen
Color
Storm Grey
Material
Aluminum
OS
Windows 11 Pro
What’s in the box
ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
Internal Battery
USB-C 65W (supports Rapid Charge)
Quick Start Guide
Price
$1,987.80
Note that these are the specs of my review unit. As with any ThinkPad, there’s a wide array of configurations. You can get it with a 15W U-series processor instead of the 28W P-series chip, there’s an optional IR camera, and there’s even optional 5G.
Design: The rare aluminum ThinkPad
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga is made of aluminum, and the chassis is mostly the same size as it was last year.
It has four USB ports, two of which are USB Type-A and two of which are Thunderbolt 4.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 4 was the first time that the product was made out of aluminum. And indeed, it’s a rare material to find in a ThinkPad, which is known for using carbon fiber in premium devices. The general design of the product has changed a bit since then, changing up the ports, adding a 16:10 display, and so on, but it still comes in the Storm Grey color.
It’s not the same chassis as last year though, although it’s very similar. It’s ever so slightly heavier, at 3.04 pounds instead of three pounds, and it’s actually a little bit wider at 315.6mm instead of 313mm. Of course, if you put the two next to each other, you probably wouldn’t even be able to tell which one is which.
As usual, it looks clean and professional, with the only markings on the lid being a metallic ThinkPad X1 logo on the corner, and a Lenovo logo in the opposite corner.
It’s a business laptop, and that means that it still has a bunch of ports, including two USB Type-A ports and HDMI 2.0. Indeed, on a consumer laptop, you’re lucky to find one USB Type-A port, let alone two, and you can forget about HDMI. Sadly, those two USB Type-A ports are still USB 3.2 Gen 1, meaning that you get 5Gbps speeds.
One of those USB Type-A ports is on the right side of the device, along with the 3.5mm audio jack. On that side, you’ll also find a pen garage, so you always have the pen with you. Personally, I think this is the best method of pen storage. We’ve seen pens attach magnetically, and while that allows for a larger pen, those often fall off in a bag and just get in the way. This way, the pen is always with you and it’s always charged.
Personally, I think this matters. If you’re not going to be using the ThinkPad X1 Yoga as a tablet from time to time, you should ask yourself why you’re considering buying it. Without the convertible functionality, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a better option.
On the left side, you’ll also find a USB Type-A port and the HDMI port, but there are also two Thunderbolt 4 ports. That means that a single port can connect to up to two 4K displays or one 8K display, or you could connect this laptop to an external GPU. And of course, you’d use one of these ports for charging.
Ultimately, this is a fine design for a laptop. It’s got two USB-A and two USB-C ports, and it comes in a clean-looking aluminum chassis.
Display: The ThinkPad X1 Yoga now comes with optional OLED
It has a 14-inch 16:10 display, which can now be configured as 4K OLED.
The 1080p webcam is now standard
While the option for 4K OLED is one of the two big changes for this laptop, the model that Lenovo sent me is FHD+, or 1,920×1,200. It’s fine, and it will get you better battery life, something you’ll want with Intel’s new P-series processors. Back in the old days, the OLED options for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and Yoga were actually 1440p, which was a nice balance between a higher resolution and battery life. With 3,840×2,400 resolution and OLED, you’re going to really feel the difference between battery life on that, and on the FHD model.
Of course, 16:10 is also the correct resolution. Pretty much all premium laptops have moved beyond 16:9 aspect ratios now, as 16:10 is taller with more surface area. Screens are measured diagonally, so while it’s still 14 inches, the taller aspect ratio means that you actually get more space.
In my testing, the screen supported 99% sRGB, 77% NTSC, 82% Adobe RGB, and 82% P3. That’s pretty good. In fact, I’d say anything over 80% in the Adobe RGB and P3 departments is solid. I will point out that the OLED model would likely be in the 90s.
Brightness maxed out at 418.1 nits, exceeding the 400 nits that were promised on the spec sheet. Notice that black came in at 0.22 at 100% brightness, and that column will be the biggest difference between OLED and non-OLED. If it as 0.01 at 0% brightness, it would be 0.01 at 100% brightness.
As noted above, the webcam is FHD, and that is standard. Last year, a lot of the ThinkPad lineup for the FHD webcam treatment, but the base model was only 720p. Now, if you buy this very expensive laptop, you’ll definitely get a solid webcam. Indeed, that’s as it should be. It’s about time that OEMs started taking webcam quality seriously.
Keyboard: A wider touchpad, and the same keyboard design
The touchpad is 110mm wide, but it still has buttons that take up valuable real estate.
The keyboard is still 1.5mm.
Lenovo’s ThinkPads are renowned for keyboard quality, so it’s no surprise that the ThinkPad X1 Yoga has an excellent keyboard. Also, it hasn’t changed from te Gen 6 model; the depth of the keys is still 1.5mm. It’s comfortable and accurate to type on, something that you’d expect from a ThinkPad.
The power button the sits above the keyboard doubles as a fingerprint sensor, which is nice since the IR camera is optional. In fact, this review unit doesn’t have an IR camera, so the fingerprint sensor was the only means I had of biometric authentication. Naturally, it scans your fingerprint when you first press it, automatically logging you in after the laptop boots up.
Just like with almost every other ThinkPad, there’s a TrackPoint between the G, H, and B keys. It’s a relic from the era when Windows laptop touchpads were terrible, but there are still some people that use them. In fact, Lenovo undoubtedly has telemetry around how often the TrackPoint gets used, and it has to be considering that when it includes it on every single ThinkPad laptop’s keyboard. ThinkPads still dominate in businesses, so Lenovo is doing something right.
You can easily ignore it if you don’t like it. If you can’t ignore it, then ThinkPads aren’t for you.
One result of the TrackPoint that you can’t ignore is the buttons above the touchpad. Those are there so they can be used with TrackPoint navigation, so if you only use the touchpad, it’s a waste of real estate. Of course, you could use the buttons with the touchpad, but that’s up to you.
The touchpad is wider than in previous generations, coming in at 110mm, so Lenovo does see the value of a larger touchpad. I think that at some point, the firm is going to have to release some ThinkPads without the TrackPoint or touchpad buttons, or even if a model like that was released as an option, but that day is not today.
Performance: Intel’s P-series is powerful, but it has limitations
It comes with 28W Intel 12th-gen processors
When Intel introduced its 12th-generation processors for ultrabooks, it showed off its all-new P-series. It still offers the more traditional 15W and 9W CPUs that go in laptops, and while there have been 28W U-series processors in the past, this is a specifically 28W series of chips.
It’s basically billed as a way to put more powerful CPUs in the same kinds of laptops that we’ve seen 15W CPUs used in. So now, premium laptops like the entire ThinkPad X1 lineup use P-series chips, and that even includes the ultra-thin ThinkPad X1 Nano, which used 9W processors last year.
Intel’s 12th-gen chips also use a new hybrid architecture. The Core i7-1260P in this laptop has 12 cores and 16 threads, a big change from the quad-core octa-thread CPUs from the U-series of years prior. Out of those 12 cores, four of them are performance cores and eight are efficiency cores, with Intel using a scheduler to direct tasks to different cores as necessary.
ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
Core i7-1260P
ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6
Core i7-1185G7
Lenovo Yoga 9i
Core i7-1260P
PCMark 10
5,168
5,158
5,616
3DMark: Time Spy
1,458
1,781
1,678
Geekbench 5
1,419 / 6,915
1,592 / 5,518
1,736 / 9,525
Cinebench R23
1,375 / 6,831
1,473 / 4,807
1,638 / 7,757
Here’s the issue with performance. Intel really billed P-series as a way of putting more performance into the same laptops, but that’s just not the case. These processors run hotter and use more battery life. Performance is better than 11th-gen, but it doesn’t really benchmark well because it starts to heat up and throttle. As you can see, the newly redesigned Yoga 9i actually sustains performance a lot better.
Interestingly, while performance wasn’t quite as good as other P-series laptops that I’ve reviewed, battery life was better. I got between 210 minutes and 374 minutes of usage out of it, the latter of which is really impressive. I expect four to five hours out of any regular laptop, so maxing out at six hours and 14 minutes is pretty great.
Lenovo did say that the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is available with U-series processors as well, so there’s a lot of flexibility for the kind of laptop you can get here.
Should you buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7?
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is a phenomenal convertible laptop. It’s not the flashiest, but it’s one of the best around.
You should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 if:
You’re looking for a quality convertible with great build quality
You like the TrackPoint
Keyboard quality is important to you
Webcam quality is important to you
You should not buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 if:
You’re not willing to spend a lot of money for quality
You’re looking for something flashy
You’re not planning to use the convertible aspect of it
Like I said, this is a phenomenal laptop. But you should definitely be planning to use it as a tablet from time to time. Otherwise, you should look at the ThinkPad X1 Carbon or X1 Nano, as they’re lighter and better suited to be strictly clamshell laptops.
In fact, for tablet use, the best was the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, a 3:2 ultra-light convertible that was specifically designed to be great at being a tablet and a laptop, while most convertibles are meant to be a laptop first. The Titanium Yoga is no more though, so the ThinkPad X1 Yoga gets the crown of best business convertible.
I like to listen to podcasts and audiobooks at bedtime as it helps me sleep better. Ideally, you want just the right amount of volume when listening to an audiobook or podcast in a quiet setting — something that remains comfortable to listen to for an extended period. A bit louder, and it becomes a distraction and causes listening fatigue and a bit quieter, and everything becomes unintelligible. I’m quite sensitive to volume changes and loudness, so I always spend some time fiddling with the volume slider to find a comfortable level. However, thanks to how Android handles media volume and volume control, finding the sweet spot is a perpetual struggle. It’s always a bit too loud or too quiet no matter how carefully you try to adjust the volume slider. This issue is more evident with in-ear headphones — both wired and wireless — than with over-ear headphones.
This has remained a struggle on almost every Android phone I have used in recent years. On the iQOO 7 Legend, for example, even the lowest volume level is too loud for listening to sleeping sounds or podcasts at bedtime. In addition, each volume step has a big jump, so you’re always caught between a volume that’s either slightly too loud or slightly too low. If you want just a modest increase or decrease from the current level, it’s nearly impossible. My Xiaomi Mi 10i 5G running Pixel Experience based on Android 12L is better with lower volume levels, but after the third or fourth click, I run into the same situation where each volume jump becomes really huge.
The volume issue is further complicated by Android’s “absolute volume” control, which unifies the volume of the connected Bluetooth headphones and the phone media volume. This is a big win for convenience as it takes away the pain of independently adjusting the physical volume control on your Bluetooth headphones and the phone media volume, meaning that changing the volume on your phone controls the volume on the Bluetooth device and vice versa.
However, this convenience comes at a price: the loss of finer control over volume levels.
I’m not sure exactly when Google coupled Bluetooth and phone media volume. I remember being able to adjust the internal volume of my Sennheiser HD 4.50 headphones independent of the phone media volume in earlier Android versions. This offered greater flexibility and precise control over the overall volume output. I could set the phone media volume to 5 and then use the physical controls on the headphones to adjust the internal volume until I find the sweet spot.
The problem is that while Android provides you an option to disable absolute volume control, which decouples Bluetooth and phone volumes, I have had mixed results with this option. While it works with my Sennheiser headphones and OPPO Enco M31 neckband, it does nothing for truly wireless earphones. It’s only really useful if your Bluetooth headphones have their own volume control.
There used to be a very effective solution to this problem in the form of the Precise Volume app. The app hooks into your phone’s audio system to overwrite Android’s 15-step volume limit and add 100 volume steps. It hasn’t been updated in a long time though (since 2017, actually), and it no longer works on devices running Android 9 Pie and above.
Before you mention it, yes, I have also tried out the build.prop method to increase the volume steps from 15 to 30. However, it didn’t work in my case, adding empty steps instead of evenly spreading the total volume across 30 steps. Not only that, this option isn’t viable for a large portion of the Android community as it requires root access.
Google should take inspiration from Samsung and LG
So, what can Google do to give Android users more control over volume output? A simple solution would be to just add more tangible steps to the media volume. As mentioned above, Android currently offers 15 volume steps. In comparison, my Sony Walkman MP3 player had 32 steps. Samsung provides an app called Sound Assistant, which lets Galaxy smartphone users add 150 volume steps. Meanwhile, the LG V30 and V40 offered 75 steps when you enabled the dedicated DAC. If Google doesn’t want to go to the length of Samsung and LG, even 30 steps would be more than enough. By default, Android can continue to use 15 steps while giving power users an option to enable additional steps for finer control over the volume level.
Another option Google could consider adding is a master volume slider that would limit the overall volume output system-wide. So, for example, you could set the master slider to 60% to reduce the overall intensity/loudness for each volume step. Yet another option is to let Android media apps add their own volume slider that works independently of the system media volume. That way, you can play with both sliders to fine-tune the final volume.
Of course, I’m not the first to raise this issue. It’s an age-old problem that many Android users have faced for years and has yet to catch Google’s attention. It’s one that I know particularly bugs some users, and it’s been a problem in my own usage for a long time, too.
While all of us know that Android has come a long way from its early days, it’s important that refinements and quality of life changes like these aren’t overlooked. It’s a mature operating system at this point, but problems like these hold it back.
I like to listen to podcasts and audiobooks at bedtime as it helps me sleep better. Ideally, you want just the right amount of volume when listening to an audiobook or podcast in a quiet setting — something that remains comfortable to listen to for an extended period. A bit louder, and it becomes a distraction and causes listening fatigue and a bit quieter, and everything becomes unintelligible. I’m quite sensitive to volume changes and loudness, so I always spend some time fiddling with the volume slider to find a comfortable level. However, thanks to how Android handles media volume and volume control, finding the sweet spot is a perpetual struggle. It’s always a bit too loud or too quiet no matter how carefully you try to adjust the volume slider. This issue is more evident with in-ear headphones — both wired and wireless — than with over-ear headphones.
This has remained a struggle on almost every Android phone I have used in recent years. On the iQOO 7 Legend, for example, even the lowest volume level is too loud for listening to sleeping sounds or podcasts at bedtime. In addition, each volume step has a big jump, so you’re always caught between a volume that’s either slightly too loud or slightly too low. If you want just a modest increase or decrease from the current level, it’s nearly impossible. My Xiaomi Mi 10i 5G running Pixel Experience based on Android 12L is better with lower volume levels, but after the third or fourth click, I run into the same situation where each volume jump becomes really huge.
The volume issue is further complicated by Android’s “absolute volume” control, which unifies the volume of the connected Bluetooth headphones and the phone media volume. This is a big win for convenience as it takes away the pain of independently adjusting the physical volume control on your Bluetooth headphones and the phone media volume, meaning that changing the volume on your phone controls the volume on the Bluetooth device and vice versa.
However, this convenience comes at a price: the loss of finer control over volume levels.
I’m not sure exactly when Google coupled Bluetooth and phone media volume. I remember being able to adjust the internal volume of my Sennheiser HD 4.50 headphones independent of the phone media volume in earlier Android versions. This offered greater flexibility and precise control over the overall volume output. I could set the phone media volume to 5 and then use the physical controls on the headphones to adjust the internal volume until I find the sweet spot.
The problem is that while Android provides you an option to disable absolute volume control, which decouples Bluetooth and phone volumes, I have had mixed results with this option. While it works with my Sennheiser headphones and OPPO Enco M31 neckband, it does nothing for truly wireless earphones. It’s only really useful if your Bluetooth headphones have their own volume control.
There used to be a very effective solution to this problem in the form of the Precise Volume app. The app hooks into your phone’s audio system to overwrite Android’s 15-step volume limit and add 100 volume steps. It hasn’t been updated in a long time though (since 2017, actually), and it no longer works on devices running Android 9 Pie and above.
Before you mention it, yes, I have also tried out the build.prop method to increase the volume steps from 15 to 30. However, it didn’t work in my case, adding empty steps instead of evenly spreading the total volume across 30 steps. Not only that, this option isn’t viable for a large portion of the Android community as it requires root access.
Google should take inspiration from Samsung and LG
So, what can Google do to give Android users more control over volume output? A simple solution would be to just add more tangible steps to the media volume. As mentioned above, Android currently offers 15 volume steps. In comparison, my Sony Walkman MP3 player had 32 steps. Samsung provides an app called Sound Assistant, which lets Galaxy smartphone users add 150 volume steps. Meanwhile, the LG V30 and V40 offered 75 steps when you enabled the dedicated DAC. If Google doesn’t want to go to the length of Samsung and LG, even 30 steps would be more than enough. By default, Android can continue to use 15 steps while giving power users an option to enable additional steps for finer control over the volume level.
Another option Google could consider adding is a master volume slider that would limit the overall volume output system-wide. So, for example, you could set the master slider to 60% to reduce the overall intensity/loudness for each volume step. Yet another option is to let Android media apps add their own volume slider that works independently of the system media volume. That way, you can play with both sliders to fine-tune the final volume.
Of course, I’m not the first to raise this issue. It’s an age-old problem that many Android users have faced for years and has yet to catch Google’s attention. It’s one that I know particularly bugs some users, and it’s been a problem in my own usage for a long time, too.
While all of us know that Android has come a long way from its early days, it’s important that refinements and quality of life changes like these aren’t overlooked. It’s a mature operating system at this point, but problems like these hold it back.
WhatsApp is rolling out new privacy control settings to provide users greater control over who can see their profile photo, “About,” “Last seen,” and WhatsApp Status. These new options were first rolled out to select beta testers last year, but it’s only now that the company is bringing them to everyone.
In a recent tweet, WhatsApp announced that they’re rolling out the granular privacy control settings to all users. Up until now, you could choose to have your WhatsApp Status, Last Seen, and About info visible to 1) everyone, 2) your contacts 3) completely hidden. But now there’s one more option called “My contacts except….” With this option, you can create a list of contacts that won’t be able to see your profile photo, status, etc., while keeping this info visible to the rest of the contacts. It’s essentially a blacklist.
To further protect your privacy online, we’re rolling out new options to your privacy control settings
Now you can select who from your contact list can see your Profile Photo, About, and Last Seen status. For more information follow this link: https://t.co/UGMCx2n70h
To try it out, click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and navigate to Account > Privacy. The updated privacy setting have widely rolled out with the latest version of WhatsApp.
In related news, WhatsApp recently rolled out one of the most requested features of all time: the ability to transfer your chats from an Android device to an iPhone. It also increased the group size limit from 256 people to 512 people.
WhatsApp is reportedly working on a bunch of exciting features. Earlier this month, we learned that the company might soon let users edit sent text messages, a feature its rival Telegram has offered for years. In addition, it’s also developing a feature that might let you link your WhatsApp account to your secondary smartphone.